Sallie's POV
At St. Chaim Reform Academy, I had survived brutal beatings that should have killed me, yet I never shed a tear. I understood that crying wouldn't make the violence stop.
When the Noahs accused and humiliated me, I still held back my tears. I knew nobody would give a damn if I broke down.
But here, receiving genuine compassion from complete strangers, unexpected emotion crashed over me. My eyes stung and my throat constricted, but all I managed to whisper was, "Thank you. I'm okay."
After surviving those two years of hell, I was finally okay. And I knew my life would only improve from this moment forward.
I politely declined the elderly customers' assistance. I slipped my remaining cash behind the vendor's counter, then walked away gripping my two new outfits and the popsicle from the generous woman.
